Holman Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 I'm confused about minefields. (It's been discussed, I'm sure, but I can't seem to find the answer I need.) Is there a reliable way to clear them? I've had success using a "blast" command to clear mines that were on the same spot with a wire obstacle, but only once. The minefield sign even changed to a third type that I had never seen before, indicating not live mines or marked mines but cleared mines. However, when there are mines in the middle of the road or non built-up terrain, I can't seem to clear them out. An engineer with a blast command doesn't do anything; I can give the order, but he never sets off the demo charge. (I guess "blast" only works when there's a wall or an obstacle to use as a target for the demo charge.) How would I clear a mine from the middle of a road or clear a path through a wide field of mines? (I'm looking at you, American campaign.) EDIT: Well, I guess I have my answer here: "Minefields can be neutralized by a blast from a demo charge, although due to the game's limitations, a blast can only be performed if there is some blastable obstacle (such as wire) in the action spot." Thanks, CM Wiki! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 IIRC someone did a test and found that they can also be cleared by direct hits from artillery of 150mm or larger. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stikkypixie Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 I'm confused about minefields. (It's been discussed, I'm sure, but I can't seem to find the answer I need.) Is there a reliable way to clear them? I've had success using a "blast" command to clear mines that were on the same spot with a wire obstacle, but only once. The minefield sign even changed to a third type that I had never seen before, indicating not live mines or marked mines but cleared mines. However, when there are mines in the middle of the road or non built-up terrain, I can't seem to clear them out. An engineer with a blast command doesn't do anything; I can give the order, but he never sets off the demo charge. (I guess "blast" only works when there's a wall or an obstacle to use as a target for the demo charge.) How would I clear a mine from the middle of a road or clear a path through a wide field of mines? (I'm looking at you, American campaign.) EDIT: Well, I guess I have my answer here: "Minefields can be neutralized by a blast from a demo charge, although due to the game's limitations, a blast can only be performed if there is some blastable obstacle (such as wire) in the action spot." Thanks, CM Wiki! If you have engineers, they can mark a discoverd minefield making them much safer to cross. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rake Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 If you have engineers, they can mark a discoverd minefield making them much safer to cross. Unfortunately, sometimes pixeltruppen get hurt before the sign pops up :eek: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holman Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Those are good demonstration pics. To clarify for future readers, those pics show *marking* a minefield (which takes a few turns and is indicated by a lightening of the minefield signpost marker). This is not the same as *clearing* a minefield, however, which my original post asked about. A marked minefield can be traversed relatively safely by walking or crawling infantry, but the mines are still there. Run through it and you will die. Actually clearing a minefield is only possible three ways: 1) If the minefield shares an action spot with a wire obstacle or a wall, having engineers "blast" move through the obstacle will also clear the mines. 2) Direct hits by high-powered artillery will destroy minefields. 3) A minefield runs out of mines after enough of them go off under your feet. (I'm not willing to test how many mines are in a minefield.) In other words, engineers *cannot* clear a minefield in an action spot without an obstacle or wall to blast. You can give the blast command, but they won't set the charges at all. Marked minefields, incidentally, are no help to vehicles, which will probably set off mines no matter how slowly they move. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permanent666 Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Marked minefields, incidentally, are no help to vehicles, which will probably set off mines no matter how slowly they move. i made a test some days ago to find out how successful engineers and breach teams are in detecting mines. and they are quite successful if you give them a hunt or slow command. furthermore marked minefields (yellow) could be passed with tanks without setting of the mines 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Hmm i just yesterday drove a Stuart tank through a marked AP minefield at slow speed. It set off 2 of the mines, which panicked an infantry team calmly walking across it at the same time causing them to start running, resulting in one of them setting off another mine and getting killed. So yeah, marked mines are not safe for vehicles at any speed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Apparently marked mines implies a greatly reduced - but not eliminated - mine threat. It doesn't help when there are two overlapping mine 'objects' either. You can clear one and still have the other to contend with. Clearing minefields is such a time and labor intensive operation that the developers decided it was outside the scope of a 'point of the sword' tactical simulation. Believe me, this has been discussed (and discussed and discussed) since CMSF Beta days. Hopefully when the final module shows up it'll include an 'Aunt Jemima' Sherman mine roller tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Hopefully when the final module shows up it'll include an 'Aunt Jemima' Sherman mine roller tank. I would rather see some functional anti-aircraft platforms, personally. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeDog Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Completely clearing a minefield is an extremely time-consuming task. For each individual mine, the engineers have to get down on their bellies, precisely locate the mine with a probe, and then either carefully uncover it and defuse it, or place a small explosive charge and blow it up from a safe distance. Even today, with fancy gizmos like advanced mine detectors and ground penetrating radar, getting rid of all mines within a given area requires this very careful, laborious process. Metal detectors etc. speed up the process of figuring out where the mines are, but they don't speed up the uncovering/disarming 'endgame.' Exception is if you have something like a flail tank or other fancy mine-clearing vehicle, or for modern warfare other crazy gizmos like the MICLIC; these can clear a pretty wide swathe through a minefield, quickly and generally (though not 100%) reliably. So... Yeah; completely clearing broad (i.e., full action-spot wide or greater) lanes through minefields is almost completely out of CM's scope. What you're seeing in CM is an abstraction of engineers taping or otherwise marking a narrow path through the minefield -- fine for a unit to pick their way cautiously across, but certainly not sufficient for units to charge across with abandon. So you SLOW or HUNT your units through marked minefields in CMBN; never QUICK or FAST. IMHO, engineers should be able to "clear" a path through mines via explosives more quickly than without (and without the placing a wire obstacle or similar on top of the mines monkey business). But really, the result should be the same as with non-explosives "marking" -- a narrow path through the field that can be navigated slowly, but not simply charged across. A Bangalore torpedo or similar linear charge will render a narrow lane through a minefield reasonably safe, but clearing a really wide path would require much more powerful explosives, along the lines of what you see in a vehicle-mounted MICLIC. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 None of the methods of "clearing" minefields are 100% reliable. Arty barrages and fortuitous sympathetic explosions will set off at least some of the mines, but aren't guaranteed to set 'em all off. A "green" minefield can still be dangerous. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Relative likelihood of a flail tank turning up in Normandy compared to other items. I can understand there may be modelling difficulties but I was just giving a perspective as to what is produced. "Conversion to flail tank was carried out by Curran Brothers of Cardiff, Milners Safe Company, TC Jones and Company, J Hibberts Ltd. A total of 300 sherman based flails were built from oct 1943 to march 1944." Puma's 100 The Tiger II was developed late in the war and made in relatively small numbers - 1,500 Tiger IIs were ordered, but the production was severely disrupted by Allied bombing.[23] Among others, five raids between 22 September and 7 October 1944 destroyed 95 percent of the floor area of the Henschel plant. It is estimated that this caused the loss in production of some 657 Tiger IIs.[24] Only 492 units were produced: 1 in 1943, 379 in 1944, and 112 in 1945. Full production ran from mid-1944 to the end of the war.[ last from Wikipedia 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreck Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 http://combatmission.wikia.com/wiki/Mine 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreck Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 A "green" minefield can still be dangerous. Have you tested a green minefield? I have, and never saw a hit on one, although it is possible I didn't test it enough. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreck Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 marked minefields (yellow) could be passed with tanks without setting of the mines I have tested this and my experience directly contradicts you. In my experience vehicles do not seem to benefit whatsoever from marking. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permanent666 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 yes i did a test and ran over yellow antitank mines with a Sherman several times and they did not explode maybe i should test more often 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreck Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hmm. I think I tested with mixed... maybe it works differently for AP only. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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